Key mechanism for keyed musical instruments and the like



Aug. 19, 1930. G. E. LA MARCHE 1,773,230

KEY MECHANISM FOR KEYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 17, 1925 jlzdei zfor Patented Aug. 19, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE E. LA MARCHE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Application filed February 17, 1926.

This invention relates to key mechanism for keyed musical instruments and the like, and more particularly concerns the provision of simply constructed and eflicient devices designed to be employed to offer a desired resistance to the manual depression of the individual keys.

One object of the invention is to provide devices of this character so designed and con- 1o structed that, when properly associated with the respective keys, they will produce a desirably peculiar effect in the touch and manipulation thereof.

Another object of the invention is to prois vide devices of the aforesaid character and purpose which may be manufactured and supplied as a stock article to musical instrument manufacturers.

Further objects and advantages of the illvention will appear from the detailed description to follow.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a broken and partly sectional side elevation of one form of key-mechanism involving my invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of another form of key-mechanism also involving my invention; and

Fig. 3 is a view, upon an enlarged scale, of

my key-touch-regulating device.

Before proceeding with the detailed description of my invention, and in order to give a better understanding thereof, it should be explained that, in certain types of keyed musical instruments, it has been customary to have the manually operable keys directly connected with the note-sounding mechanism and that, as a natural consequence, the keytouch varies throughout the scale. The proper sounding of the lower notes usually requires more cumbersome note-sounding mechanism than the upper notes and, when the keys are directly connected as aforesaid, the key-touch must necessarily be heavier in the bass than in the treble section. Furthermore, and for the same reason, inequalities in the action of the note-sounding mechanism produces corresponding inequalities in the key-touch.

In organs, for example, the chest-valves Serial No. 88,921.

for the lower notes are considerably larger than those for the upper notes, and it was formerly customary to have the manually operable keys directly connected by trackers with their respective chest-valves. In such instruments, known as tracker-action organs, the pressure of the air in the chest upon the valves was such as to cause them to so hug to their seats as to produce more or less reluctance in the initial part of the movement of the keys. Co-incident with the starting of the valves from their seats, this initial reluctance in key-movement would be suddenly reduced or, in effect, released, and further depression of the keys would be comparatively easy. In the smaller organs, wherein it was not necessary, even in the bass section, to employ large chest-valves or to provide more than one or two key-manuals, this initial reluctance in key-movement was not so pronounced as to be objectionable-in fact, it afforded a certain desirable firmness and a reliability in the key-touch which, among other advantages, avoided the sounding of undesired notes by the accidental touching of wrong keys during rapid or difficult key-manipulation. In the larger tracker-action instruments, however, the correspondingly larger chest-valves were much more difficult to start from their seats, and w the eflect was a disagreeable stickiness in the key-touch, very pronounced in the bass register, which was fatiguing to the performer and interfered materially with the proper manipulation of the keys in rapid or difficult fingering. Of course, the then prevalent use of mechanical couplers for connecting the difierent key-manuals added to and emphasized this difficulty. Efforts to obviate this objectionable stickiness of key-touch resulted in the devising and employment of various forms of chest-valves, valve-springs, and levers, but their use appeared to introduce other objectionable effects, such, for instance, as one which became known as double touch.

It is now the preferred practice to employ, even in the smaller organs, pneumatically or electrically operable devices to actuate the chest-valves or other note-sounding mecha- Hill Til

nism and to control the devices pneumatically or electrically (as the case may be) from one or more key-manuals, each key actuating one or more key-valves or circuit-controlling switches, the previously employed mechanical key-couplers being supplanted by coupling air-channels or electric circuits. In the present type of organ, therefore. it does not matter which part of the keyscale is employed, how many stops are used, or how many divisions of the organ are in service: the key-touch remains the same. However, while the hereinbefore descri ied stickiness and scalevariation in key-touch has been eliminated in the pneumatically or electrically controlled instrument, other objectionable features have been noticed. T he former firmness and reliability in keytouch ias been sacrificed, and there is a marked lack of uniformity in the key-touches of different instruments.

In these later types of organs. it is highly desirable that the individual key-actuated valves or switches should be very light and responsive in action, in order to insure their proper operation under the most rapid manipulation of the keys, but it is equally desi able that the keys should possess a certain definite and uniform firmness of touch under the fingers of the performer, sutlicientto avoid annoying super-sensitiveness without otlering a fatiguing resistance. Super-sensitiveness and lack of firnmess in the key-touch are today as well recognized as objectionable characteristics of the pneumatically or electri wally controlled instrument as was the stickiness of touch which was objectionable in many of the tracker-action instruments, and 'ariously shaped springs, levers, and weights have been devised and applied in dili'erent ways to resist, balance. or counterl alance the key-movement in efforts to provide a key-touch which would be generally satisfactory. Organists appear to be unable o define with any degree of exactness the keytouch which they individually prefer and do not gene ally agree upon any desired standard. and the etl orts of the diilerent manufacturers have been to provide, each in his own way, the peculiar key-touch which he believes to be the most desirable or which will be the most acceptable. The result is that at preseat there is a complete and confusing lack of uniformity. For years, the conditions hare ope 'ation of these been such that visiting organists mus 1 necessarily 't'ainiliarize themselves with the various key-tot ches individually peculiar to the different instruments, whether the instruments were made by the same manufa turer or by different mamifacturers.

My invention is designed to rectify this lack of uniformity and to provide for the standardization of key-touch, and I purpose to do this by providing a device, complete in itself, w iich may be supplied as a stock article to manufacturers, to be applied by them in different positions along the keys, or lsewhere, as they may prefer, in order to conform to the requirements of the particular instrument, to afford the desired initial resistance and firmness-z in key-touch. This initial res1stance and firmness may be determined according to a pro-arranged standard by the well known method of weighing the touch-that is, my key-touchregulating device may be properly positioned, with respect to the leverage of the key, by pl aeing a suitable weight upon the forward end-part of the key and locating my device so that it will alter l the proper initial resistance to counterbalance or support the weighted key. lYhen its location has once been decided upon, an entire set may be installed, all of the devices being so uniformly designed and constructed that they will provide the proper degrees of resis ancc for the different stages of movement of the keys.

Referring, now. to the tllt wines, and more particularly to Fig. 3 thereof, it will be observed that mv ke wtouch-rc rulating device is a unitary ,iactnre con'iprising' a pair of d yi oted togeth r at 3 to form llev, and 2 are acted upon by a spring l: to \'l0ltlll.fll hold the toggle normally ervpanoed, and a stop-hinge effect is prm'ided to prevent the toggle from being completely straightenml out. ."is viewed in the drawings. th upper eml-pzlrt of lever is bifur rated to recei'a and i iartially box the lower end-part of lever l, which extends below tl' pivotal connection i ml is acted upon by one arm of the U-shaped spring -l-, 2 pad (3, felt or buckskin. leing positioned as shown to cushion the contact of the endhart agrairst one of the walls of th 'h.

and thus iioiselt-"slv erc c lUX-l e intoi l bifurcation with the aforesaid straightening out o; toggle. The pivot-pin is u'efcralily trsrht in lever l and turns in bi ed la arinpgs in 1 their oppositely extending ends. l and 4 are provided with positioning 2 .ctivelv. s v a iin .i 1;. ha\ e snou n a con, emmiu rirwla'. -F,i. .,.,i oi kc Marci is .inianno )ctwten ns l to he found in most organs and pianos. and i iositioned above the after part of; said key. lhave also shown annection f pivota ly iltached tothe ioper i of my device. w h connection n ay pn'titut a iin: r tie extending to any term law-actuated mechanism. but this El my device as a connecting he lacy 212K. the actuattal e instrument is, of course.

element between interpositioningr L oved ward end thereof, and my device is shown as positioned beneath the forward part of the key.

It will be readily understood that the location of the device along the key 10, with re spect to the key-fulcrinn 11. will determine the degree of res-,tance which the device will ol'l'er to the depression of the key, but the resistance offered by the spring st in the flexing of the toggle will not be affected by such location, so that, with the device properly positioned to give the desired firmness and resistance to the initial. part of the movement of the key. the properly proportionate de grees of resistance to the further depression of the key will be afforded and determined by the resisting qualifications which are inherent characteristics of my key-touch-rcgulating device.

I have shown the device as positioned with its opposite ends stepped one in a shallow groove or notch 12 in the key and the other similarly stepped in a shallow channel 13 in a spring-rail 14L which is fixed to extend transversely with respect to all. of the keys of each manual. The positioning pins 7 and 8 project into openings 15 and 16 provided therefor in the bottoms of the respective notches 1.2 and channel 13. The length of pins 7 and 8, the provision for their accommodation in the keys and spring-rails, the bushing of the openings 15 and 16, and the bushing or "black-leading of the notches 12 and channel 13 are details of construction which may be varied by the manufacturer without interfering with the proper opera tion and effectiveness of my device.

In Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown the device as applied. directly to a key and as vertically positioned with relation thereto, but it .is to be understood that this but one of several ways in which it may be applied and positioned. The construction of the device is such that it may be applied to resist the movement of key-actuated parts. rather than the keys, and may be turned about, inverted, and

arranged horizontally without in any manner impairing its action or effectiveness. li urthermore, the stop-hinge effect of the pivotally connected levers 1 and 2 may be obtained without employing the exact construction which I have shown and described.

When the device is in position, pressure upon the end of either, or upon the ends of both, of the levers 1 and 2 will flex the toggle in opposition to the action of spring 4, the pivotal, connection 3 of the levers being at one side of the direct line of pressure. The shape, strength, position, and strength-gathering power of spring 4 is such as to provide the properly proportionate resistance in the different stages of flexing of the toggle. Consequently, when the device has been properly located, as aforesaid, with respect to the leverage of the key, to provide the desired described desirable qualifications of the trackeraction organ and providing that peculiar effect in the key-touch which I have therefore described as a tracker-touch. This effect is decidedly different from that produced by the application of mechanism which simply affords a gradually decreasing resistance to the depression of the keys, and I do not wish my invention to be confused therewith.

In addition, itwill be noted that, by providing a unitary structure such as I have described, of uniform construction and design, which may be supplied as a stock article to manufacturers, adapted to be differently applied by them in different instruments to properly allow for the individual. requirements and characteristics thereof, I have provided a means through the employment of which a standardized key-touch may be afforded.

I claim- 1. The combination, with a depressible key in a manual key-board, of a key-touchregulating device for resisting the depression of said key, comprising a normally expanded toggle and means acting upon said device to yieldingly hold said toggle expanded.

2. The combination, with a depressible key in a manual key-board, of a key-touch-regulating device for resisting the depression of said key, comprising a toggle flexed through endwise compression thereof by the depression of said key and means acting upon said device to yieldingly resist the flexing of said toggle.

3. The combination, with a depressible key in a manual key-board, of a toggle positioned to act directly upon said key and be flexed by the depression thereof, and means acting upon said toggle to yieldingly hold it expanded.

4. The combination, with a depressible key in a manual key-board, of a toggle positioned to act directly upon said key and be flexed by the depression thereof, and a spring acting upon said toggle to resist the flexing thereof.

5. A musical instrument action mechanism comprising an abutment, a relatively movable, manually operable element, a toggle expanded between said abutment and said element to be compressed endwise by the movement of said element, and means acting upon said toggle to yieldingly hold it expanded.

6. A. musical instrument action mechanism loo lit}

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. *ieing an abutment, a relatively movahle, manually operable element, a toggle poai'ioned heir-teen Said abutment and said to he flexed through endvvise coniiherco't' h v he movement or said '1 i and a spring acting upon said toggle the citing thereof.

musical instrun'ient action device pair of pivota lv connected sting upon aaid levers to ends opach oth ll connected lcvere, ipon said levers to yielding);

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ingg' ende oppositely exte zch other, and a stop acting to inter itere with the action hold their with rcs pcwt :pon said le r o't said me- I 011 eaic levers to yielding: hold then l to form an l elativc nowition expanded an article of manu'izn-ture. a lienilat ng device comprising a .ll}.- connected levers. a wring upon said levers to vicldingl hold them rel.;ti .'c position to form an expanded tog). l a stop acting:- upon said levers; to pre toggle from heing complctel; c:-:panded an :l"li(le o manutacl'iure. a lievdevice comprising a pair of connected together to form Id-part of one of said levere c t i id ite pivotal connection vith the othe 0 FlMl levers and forming astop a spring acting upon :--:aid

.' hold sa d toggle expanded t crlierence o'l S7U l atop. 3. An an article oi" manufacture, a keytouch-regulating' device con'iprising' an endu'ise compressible toggle formed lrv a pair of pivotally connected l ere, the pivotal conction of said levere being oil from the Pct ot comprceeion o p to maintain the oiled i pivotal connection. and a epri. v Faid levers to i diug lv h l lit.

e. a e a pair oi all v connected toe'e .CI to form re, a pin projecting from "he uncont end of each of eaid levers tl e endi'l levers extent levers to act. as a stop tliercagainet, and a sprme' acting upon said levers "'o rreldrnglv i. hold e lid toggle expanded an to cause said t endpart of one of said levers to hear against the other of said levrs.

said devices comprising a tog le flexed through endvvise compression thei V, in th" (lQPIQSHlUD o'l? liS l'GrilitCt'lYO key, means acting vieltlinglv t the lit oi said to and means connected with l to herel'iv tor-suing a part oi depression of each t lcc va \vill lieX a correspoi d" tog-gale against the action of its IGSJGC ti 1 i d cauee said to;.:'- gle to actuu the aid nmani; connector l therewith.

it The con'ihination, with th manually operrhle ltevs and the noteeounding mechanism of a numcal inatrument of devices on era'icd in the depression of said ltevs to 0".- teet the actuation said mechanism, each of said devices: comprising an GIUlWiHt com- "ble toggle owned by a pair of pivotconnected levem. a spring acting; upon l levers to rielilinelv hold Paid toggle c);- nandnl, and means connected with one oi llevcre and torinino' a part of said i'iecha- ,u'hcrch 7 epress on oi each of eaid lqcvs \vill COHKPZ'OSS a c irreraponding togi'gtlc against the action of its respective spring and cause its respective one oi l "1 to actuate tce staid means connca:

17. It musical action device l instrl l compriar g a pair oi levers pivotaliv corn re acting upon said uter ends ext 1 c .7 "c directions, with the pi 1 it their conncctimi oil'- set from but in substantial alignment with their sail l outer ends.

t-l. A in'stical inutrouient action device ompria a pair of le pivotallv connectel ogg'ethcr, meane upoii Said lcvere to vicld 'iglv hold their outer ends e1:- tenced in suh taiuially r'ip uezite directions. and means acting upon said levers to prevent the pivotal point oi the r connection from being; moved into alignment vvith t eir lv' ltl t at Y l9. ."t in? iuatwmcut action device comprmingg pair of lcveiw pivot: llv conuected otit and incane carri d h: said levers and acting thereupon to vieldinc'lv lli) nected together, means acting upon said levers to yieldingly hold their outer ends extended in substantially opposite directions, and means carried by one of said levers and acting upon the other thereof to prevent the pivotal point of their connection from being moved into alignment with their said outer ends.

21. A musical instrument action device comprising a pair of levers pivotally connected together, means carried by said levers and acting thereupon to yieldingly hold their outer ends extended in substantially opposite directions, and means carried by one of said levers and acting upon the other thereof to prevent the pivotal point of their connection from being moved into alignment with their said outer ends.

22. A musical instrument action device comprising a pair of levers pivotally connected together, and means acting at predetermined points upon each of said levers to yieldingly hold their outer ends extended in substantially opposite directions, the pivotal point of connection of said levers being offset in one direction from alignment with their said outer ends and offset in another direction from alignment with the aforesaid predetermined points thereupon, whereby a movement of either of said levers to increase the offset of said pivotal point in said one direction will decrease the offset thereof in said other direction.

23. A musical instrument action device comprising a pair of levers pivotally connected together, means acting at predetermined points upon each of said levers to yieldingly hold their outer ends extended in substantially opposite directions, the pivotal point of connection of said levers being offset from alignment with said predetermined points, and means acting upon said levers to prevent said pivotal point of their connection from being moved into alignment with their said outer ends, whereby an endwise compression of said levers will increase the offset of said pivotal point from alignment with said outer ends and decrease the ofiset thereof from alignment with said predetermined points.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this fifteenth day of February, A D. 1926.

GEORGE E. LA MARCHE. 

